Rumors swirled today that the US EPA would finally announce the 2014 renewable volume obligations – quantity of ethanol and biofuels to be blended into the fuel supply – until the agency surprised many by postponing the announcement until next year. The renewable fuel standard, as the law is known, has been controversial for years.… Keep reading →
Ten US Senators yesterday released a bill to cut the corn ethanol mandate from the Renewable Fuel Standard. The high-profile political battle, which has been called a “fight between Big Corn and Big Oil,” entered a new phase with the introduction of this bi-partisan bill. “I strongly support requiring a shift to low-carbon advanced biofuel,… Keep reading →
Is the Renewable Fuel Standard broken beyond repair? It depends who you ask, but it’s certainly problematic. The RFS enforced by the EPA was originally envisioned as a way to get more biofuel into the US transportation fuel market, but changing technology and consumption patterns have required continual adjustments to the law. The EPA recently… Keep reading →
The debate about using ethanol and advanced biofuels to further US environmental goals recently reached a crescendo when the AP released a deeply-researched investigative report into the biofuel industry’s green credentials. The report came out right before the EPA announced its proposed 2014 biofuel blending requirements, a highly controversial issue unto itself. The degree to… Keep reading →
Continuing this week’s coverage of the ethanol blending battle raging in Washington, we’re bringing attention to a letter the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers recently penned to President Obama in support of the US EPA’s indication that it may partially waive the 2014 Renewable Fuel Standard over blending requirement concerns. The letter serves as one… Keep reading →
By: Javier E. David As the U.S. prods the oil industry to blend more ethanol into gasoline, charges are flying between refiners and biofuel advocates about the impact of such mandates—and whether the so-called Blend Wall is really a problem at all. Under a law passed in 2007, refiners are required to mix a certain… Keep reading →
As the US ethanol industry expanded, it quickly became clear that numerous limitations and complications came with using food crops – primarily corn in the US – to manufacture fuel. As is often the case in modern society, technology was seen as the solution. Ethanol can also be made from non-food feedstock like switch grass,… Keep reading →
The battle over the Renewable Fuel Standard is getting ugly, as congressional hearings take place today and tomorrow, representatives from each side of the ethanol/biofuel debate release their verbal attack dogs. “Let me be clear, AFPM is not anti-ethanol or anti-biofuels, both can play an important role in the fuel mix, provided they are safely… Keep reading →
